Under the Rain, Beneath the Stars
by RainLily13
Summary: Prompt fill on tumblr: Seeking Solace, Breathe Again, Under the Rain, Dreams, & All That I Have. Takes place during OoTP.


_This is just a multi-prompt fill that I did on tumblr and thought I'd share here. _

_The prompts were: #5: Seeking Solace, #10: Breathe Again, #30: Under the Rain, #39: Dreams, & #92: All That I Have_

_Obviously AU, but is canon up until OotP, during which it takes place. _

_For Kagome, she was 14 when she fell through the well, and it's a year after that._

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_**Disclaimer:** Obviously, neither Harry Potter nor Inuyasha belong to me.  
_

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—Under the Rain, Beneath the Stars—

On the day that she arrived it was pouring.

It was the talk of the school on the train to Hogwarts. According to Hermione, there hadn't been a transfer in years.

Personally, Harry didn't see why it was such a big deal. Perhaps it was unusual, but the commotion it was causing was a bit much.

Then again, perhaps he was angry because it seemed everyone cared more about the new transfer than the fact that Voldemort was alive and Cedric murdered because of him.

As they did every year, they waited for the first-years to be sorted, sitting under a black night sky with angry, rolling clouds and soundless lightning, rain falling from the ceiling but soaking not one person.

Eventually, the transfer's name was called and the hall came to a hush as Kagome Higurashi climbed up and sat on the stool.

The Sorting Hat sat on her head, quiet and still, drooping lower with each passing second. The usual bounce it exhibited had dissipated, and by the time the Sorting Hat called out her designated house, it was less of a shout and more of a soft declaration that still was heard across the expanse of the Great Hall, spoken with a somber note that passed chills through most hearts of the audience.

"HUFFLEPUFF."

Harry watched as the girl, Kagome Higurashi, removed the Sorting Hat and passed it on to Professor McGonagall, ignoring the stares as she climbed down the steps and headed over to meet her new housemates. It was an incident everyone had quickly forgotten about when a woman in an eyesore of a pink outfit stole the stage from Dumbledore during his usual start-of-the-year speech.

o.O.o

The next time Harry saw Kagome it was in Herbology the first day of term.

It wasn't until he started holding DA meetings that he finally met and actually spoke to her. It was also, now that he thought of it, the first time he ever heard her speak that wasn't a spell incantation or an answer to a Professor's question.

Suffice to say, it was awkward.

"So, uh, how are you liking Hogwarts so far?" he asked as he helped with her _Expelliarmus_.

Kagome, whose narrowed gaze was fixed on the dark rosy wood of her wand, blinked owlishly. She turned her head to face him, tendrils of ebony hair cascading off her woolen-clad shoulders, and he was met with wide, stormy-blue eyes. "Oh," she murmured, as if she was startled to be faced with an actual conversation. "Uh…" The Hufflepuff cleared her throat, looking hesitant. "Honestly?"

Harry lowered his wand, nodding. At first, he asked to be polite and to just break the ice, but now he found himself interested in hearing her answer. "Yeah?"

Harry's gaze was drawn to Kagome's lower lip as she began to nibble on it, snapping back to meet her eyes when she finally spoke. "I'm attending a boarding school for magic in Scotland during what looks to be like a hostile takeover by the government. Every time I go to Divination, if I'm not dying then something tragic will be predicted happening to me. The Potions professor hates teaching so much, I'm honestly wondering why he bothers to stay. The Defense teacher is this crazy cat person who thinks bodily mutilation and torture is a proper punishment for children. Plus, there're rumors that some mass-murderer has risen from the _dead _and yet no one except a small group of students seems to be taking it seriously."

Harry stared. He was pretty sure his mouth had gone slack.

Kagome, who apparently didn't notice, took a deep, steadying breath and concluded with, "Last year all I had to worry about in school was failing _math_."

That day Harry had to cut the meeting short because it took too long for him to calm down and breathe again, he was laughing that hard.

Kagome, thinking he was laughing _at _her and making fun of her, looked hurt for about a split-second before she turned a furious shade a red and stalked out of the Room of Requirement. It took Harry nearly a week to find her, and alone at that, so he could apologize and explain that wasn't the case at all, and he never meant to embarrass her—he just hadn't laughed that hard in a _really _long time.

Kagome graciously accepted, but only after he helped her with a CoMC she needed to write for Professor Grubbly-Plank the next day.

"Er, Harry?" Ron asked one morning, when they were getting ready for the day. "I was wondering…"

Harry looked up, having just done up his shirt. "Yeah?"

"Well," Ron was already backtracking, ears going red, and Harry blinked in confusion. "It's not just me that was wondering, but Hermione too, and—"

"Ron, just," Harry interjected, breathing out an incredulous laugh, "Out with it, mate."

"Ah, sorry." Ron gave him a sheepish grin, rubbing a hand against his neck. "We were just wondering if you and that Hufflepuff are, y'know…" The redhead trailed off suggestively, eyebrows wiggling, but Harry only stared at him in blank confusion. Ron groaned, flopping onto his trunk at the foot of his bed. "_Dating_. Are you two _dating_? Merlin…"

Harry's eyes went wide. "No!" he blurted out. "What? No! Why would you even think that? We're just friends."

Ron stared up at him, the expression on his face was clearly saying, _are you being serious?_ And when he realized that, yes, Harry most certainly _was_being serious, Ron just shook his head in poorly veiled pity. "Harry, mate, you've been spending a lot of time with her, hanging out."

Harry just looked at him in incomprehension. "I spend time with you and Hermione! I don't fancy either of you!"

Ron's face grimaced at the idea. "Well, thank Merlin for that," he muttered, shuddering.

o.O.o

"Having trouble?"

Deep in thought, Kagome's forehead wrinkled, her lips pursing as she nodded. "Everything that I'm coming up with doesn't… I can produce the shield fine enough, but it doesn't seem like it would be strong enough for a full-bodied patronus."

Harry hummed, standing next to her. "When I first started learning it, the memory I used wasn't exactly a happy one. But, it _was_ strong and it made me happy thinking about."

Kagome gave a soft murmur, "I think I get what you're saying," and she turned to face him, which was when Harry realized they were standing _really _close to each other.

Kagome blinked, her eyes gone wide. "Thanks," she muttered. She coughed and swiftly turned her head away, cheeks red. Raising her wand she closed her eyes, breathing deeply in and out. Harry knew the moment she found the memory—he could see it in her face before she opened her mouth and firmly recited the incantation. "_Expecto Patronum."_

Light built up at her wand, a small pinprick at the crooked tip that swelled and swelled and swirled, strange wisps of faint pink light spilling out to mingle with the patronus' signature blue. The buildup was slow at first, but soon the light was quickly pouring out to produce a churning mass instead of a shield.

Harry grinned and darted a look at Kagome, nudging her when he found her eyes were still closed. "Kagome, look!"

Kagome's eyes shot open and she breathed in sharply.

Her patronus was darting through the feet of the other DA members, a fox that was gave off an almost unnoticeable purple tinge.

"You did it," Harry exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Ka…" he trailed off as the fox suddenly disappeared. When he turned back to Kagome, he saw there were tears in her eyes. Worried, he took a step closer. "Kagome?" he asked gently, and when he didn't get an answer he reached out to touch her arm.

Kagome flinched slightly, the touch seeming to jolt her back to reality. Her reddened eyes darting to Harry, she fidgeted in her spot and reached up to rub furiously at her eyes. "Thanks for your help, Harry, really," she said quickly, clearing her throat loudly, "But, uh, do you mind if I leave early?"

Stunned, Harry just shook his head wordlessly, shocked even further when Kagome pocketed her wand and turned to leave only to pause and turn back around to give Harry a quick, sniffling hug and another thanks. Then she was striding away and slipping through the doors.

It didn't take long for Ron and Hermione to approach him, one from behind and grinning and one from the direction Kagome went and with a frown on their face.

Ron was the one grinning. "I thought you said the two of you weren't dating? What was that hug, then?"

Hermione lightly smacked him on the arm. "She was also _crying_, Ron!" she admonished in a hushed whisper. Turning to Harry, she gave him a look. "What happened?"

Harry sputtered, offended. "Don't give me that look! I didn't do anything!" he told them. "I just helping her with the charm and she just…" he trailed off, waving his hands in a helpless gesture.

"Mate, what _is_it with you and the weepy ones?" Ron said slowly, like Harry was mental. His face quickly became scared when Hermione rounded on him with a furious look.

Harry, however, had something else in mind. "Can you guys take care of things here?" he interjected before Hermione could start in on their friend, digging into his pocket for the map.

Ron shot him a grateful look, to which Harry rolled his eyes at.

Hermione saw it too, but she focused on Harry for the moment. Ron could be taken care of later. "Yes, of course," she reassured him, and then in a softer voice, tinged with something Harry couldn't pinpoint, she asked him, "You're going to check on her?"

Harry nodded as he scanned the map, looking for Kagome's name. He found it quickly enough, letting out an, "Ah!" when he did before he folded the map and passed it to Hermione. "I'll see you guys later, then," he said with a wave, before he too slipped out the doors.

o.O.o

Ten minutes later, Harry was on the top of the Astronomy tower, standing behind Kagome as she sat on the edge, leaning forward against the middle railing, legs swinging absently. Her shoes let out a dull thud as they bounced off the stone outer-wall.

Silently, he took a seat next to her and stared out as well. He didn't even glance at her, only offering the presence of his company.

Eventually, Kagome let out a breathy sigh, resting her forehead against the railing. "The fox," she whispered, the words coming out thick.

Harry only waited.

"It reminded me of someone… He was like a little brother to me…" Kagome trailed off, and Harry glanced over to see her hands clutching so tightly at the railing that they were shaking.

After a moment, Harry spoke up. "You've seen my patronus, right?"

Kagome made a noise that sounded like a confirmation.

"My dad was an animagus—like Professor McGonagall, y'know? But instead of a cat, he could transform into a stag, just like my patronus."

He saw Kagome's head lift up from the corner of his eye, watching him intently.

"My parents… they died when I was just one. I don't really have much of them, just a few pictures, and a couple of, uh, memories. But I have that." Harry took a deep breath and sighed. "Whenever I see it, I think of it like it's a part of him protecting me," he confessed.

Harry felt a hand cover his and give a squeeze. He looked over to find Kagome peering at him with a small, sad smile. "I'm sorry about your parents, Harry."

Harry swallowed thickly. He didn't think anyone had ever said that to him before. Practically everyone knew about how they died a decade before he did. Turning his hand over so that it could wrap around Kagome's, he gave a comforting squeeze of his own.

"And I'm sorry about your friend, Kagome."

o.O.o

"Well, don't you look chipper this morning?"

Harry let out a soft groan, turning his head to bury his face against his arm, stretching out across the table. "I didn't get much sleep last night," he muttered, exhaling loudly as he sat up.

Kagome took a seat across from him, tugging off her black and yellow scarf and depositing it alongside her bag on the table. Another look at him and she was frowning sympathetically. "The last week, looks more like it," she murmured. "Pretty sure your bags have bags."

_That_ had Harry rubbing his under his eyes self-consciously.

Kagome frowned deeper. "Why don't you just head back to bed and get some more rest? You don't have to keep me company if you're so tired."

"No, no," Harry mumbled with a shake of his head. "I wanted to come. I like spending time with you," and oh no, oh, _Merlin_, did he just say that out loud?

Slowly he cracked an eye open to see Kagome staring at him, eyes wide and eyebrows raised, lips parted in surprise.

Harry shut his eyes and sank in his chair, wishing it would swallow him whole. "It wouldn't matter," he hastily added, hoping to distract her. "It's not like I'd get any sleep anyways."

Harry heard the soft click of teeth indicating she closed her mouth, and after a moment of dread that he had scared her off and she was just trying to make an excuse to leave herself, Kagome spoke. "Bad dreams, huh?" she guessed, and Harry glanced up at her knowing tone.

Shrugging, Harry nodded. "Something like that," he muttered. "Besides, this would be a good time to knock out that Potions paper due Monday. Not like I have Quidditch practice in the afternoon anymore, either," he remarked bitterly. "Or DA Meetings to hold."

Kagome snorted quietly. "Thanks for making me sound like a last resort."

A protest on the tip of his tongue, Harry's head shot up only to find her grinning back at him wryly, rubbing lightly at her matching scarred hand. He rolled his eyes, but his gaze lingered on her hand. "Is that okay?" he asked, guiltily.

Kagome blinked and stopped the motion, not realizing she was doing it. She lowered her hands and shot him a serious look. "It's healing fine," she replied, "Y'know it's not your fault, right?" When he went to object, the Hufflepuff shook her head. "No, I'm serious. We all made the choice to sign up. We knew the risks, same as Dumbledore when he took the blame."

"It's not gonna stop me from blaming myself," Harry muttered under his breath, petulant. "Or that friend of Cho's."

Kagome's hand reached across the table and caught his, and a shiver raced down Harry's spine before a wave of calm washed over him, settling deep within his gut, and Harry's wie eyes snapped to lock with Kagome's.

"It was, regrettably, the best case scenario," she told him softly, squeezing, and Harry found his fingers curling around hers. "We all could have been expelled. Anyway, it'll all work out in the end. And hey, perhaps the Weasley twins will end up driving Umbridge so mad with their pranks that she'll _resign_."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks, Kagome," he said softly, squeezing her hand.

"Yeah," she murmured in reply, "Not a problem. It's a good thing I like spending time with you, too."

Harry ducked his head to hide his bashful grin.

o.O.o

It wasn't all right, and not everything worked out in the end.

When at the end of the year he returned from the Ministry with his godfather dead and Voldemort's existence ousted, to say he was heartbroken and just as equally pissed was a fucking understatement.

He skipped the final feast, his feet taking him wherever they pleased. He wasn't feeling up to facing other people, where most would be cheering happily despite Voldemort's return because the Toad had been booted out and Dumbledore reinstated. He couldn't be able to take it, honestly.

So he found himself at back at the top of the Astronomy Tower, and he sat down heavily at the edge, arms curling around the middle railing, hands gripping tightly.

He was _furious_. He felt _exhausted_. He felt broken into little pieces, felt like he was falling apart with no one there to catch because there was _no one left._

His godfather, his last chance of having a family when it was all over, was _dead _because of _him_.

He knew as soon as he thought it, it wasn't true—not about Sirius' death being his fault, because it _was_, if only he hadn't been _so stupid_—but that there was no one left.

There was still Remus. There was still Hermione and Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys. There was still Dumbledore.

"Oh, Harry," broke in a dismayed whisper.

And as it appeared, there was still Kagome, too.

Harry remained silent as she took a seat beside him, staring ahead stonily. It was dark, now, the stars glittering from above. Kagome said nothing as well, and he was incredibly grateful because he was pretty sure he couldn't say another word without breaking down. Again.

Instead, there was a moment of hesitation before he felt a hand curl around his knee.

He let out a shuddering breath, and without a second thought, he turned and leaned into her and Kagome let him.

Together they sat, basking in the silence, taking peace in the solace of each other's company.

o.O.o

_Hope you all enjoyed! I'm gonna put this down as complete, but I might do this in Kagome's POV,see how that goes, since it's really Harry-centric. _

_But anyway, feel free to come on over and send me a prompt. You can do a number prompt like this one was, or just send me whatever. The link to my tumblr is on my profile._

_RainLily^^_


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